Technique

If you can say it, you can do it...

If you're serious about learning classical ballet, you will learn the vocabulary.
And if you're serious about learning the vocabulary, you will make a small
investment in this very valuable book... Technical Manual and Dictionary
of Classical Ballet by Gail Grant. It is tiny (fits conveniently in
a dance bag) and remarkably inexpensive (under $5) but it is packed with
useful information. It is considerably more detailed than any of the online
ballet dictionaries. You can order it right now from
many online vendors. Excerpts from this book are used throughout this technique page.

Positions of the Body

I teach Cecchetti
(Italian) ballet technique and as such use the Cechetti body positions.
I borrow one position (efface derriere) from the Vaganova (Russian) school
since no comparable position exists in the Cechetti vocabulary.

Croise devant

Quatrieme devant

Efface (devant)

A la seconde

Croise derriere

Ecarte

Epaule

Quatrieme derriere

Although I do not teach from the Vaganova (Russian) school, the Vaganova
positions here are given for completeness.

Efface derriere

Croise devant

Quatrieme devant

Efface devant

A la seconde

Croise derriere

Ecarte devant

Epaule devant

Quatrieme derriere

Epaule derriere

Efface derriere

Vocabulary

ADAGIO - a series of exercises consisting of a succession of slow and
graceful movements,. These exercises develop a sustaining power, sense
of line, balance and poise which enables the dancer to perform with majesty
and grace

ALLEGRO - a term applied to all bright and brisk movements. The most
important qualities to aim at in allegro are lightness, smoothness, and
ballon

ARABESQUE - One leg extended behind and the arms held in various harmonious
positions creating the longest possible line from the fingertips to the
toes.

1st Arabesque

2nd Arabesque

3rd Arabesque

ASSEMBLE: A step in which the working foot slides on the floor before
being swept into the air. As the foot goes into the air the dancer pushes
off the floor with the supporting leg, extending the toes. Both legs come
to the ground simultaneously in the fifth position.

ATTITUDE - a particular pose in dancing derived by Carlo Blasis from
the statue of Mercury by Giovanni da Bologna. It is a position on one
leg with the other lifted in back, with the knee bent at an angle.

BALANCE - Rocking step

BALANCOIRE - like a seesaw

BALLON is the light, elastic quality in jumping in which the dancer bounds
up from the floor, pauses a moment in the air and descends lightly and
softly, only to rebound in the air like the smooth bouncing of a ball.

BALLONNE - bounced, ball-like

BALLOTTE - tossed

BARRE - side practice

BATTEMENT - beating. This is a demontration of GRAND BATTEMENT (Large
battement) - An exercise in which the working leg is raised from the hip
into the air and brought down again, the accent being on the downward
movement, both knees stratight. This must be done with apparent ease,
the rest of the body remaining quiet.

BATTEAU - Beat.

BRISE - broken

BRISE VOLE - flying brise.

CHANGEMENT - to change. . .

CHAINES or DEBOULES - progressive turn across the stage

CABRIOLE - from the Italian CAPRIOLA, a she-goat,
a caper... All steps of elevation begin and end with a plie. CABRIOLE
can also be done a la quatrieme derriere.

CAMBRE - arched

CHASSE - chased

EN CLOCHE. . . like a bell

COU-DE-PIED - neck of the foot. SUR LE COU-DE-PIED
- on the neck of the foot. In the Cecchetti method, sur le cou-de-pied
devant is the position of the working foot placed with the outside face
of the heel in front of the supporting foot just above the ankle bone
with all five toes resting on the floor sur la demi-point. Sur le cou-de-pied
derriere is the same position with the inside face of the heel placed
behind the supporting joot just above the ankle joing.

COUPE - cutting

COURU - running

EN CROIX - in the shape of a cross

PAS DE CHAT - cat step.

DEGAGE - disengaged

DETOURNE - backward turn on one foot

DEVELOPPE - developed

ECHAPPE - Escape - Saute' or sur les pointes, in each case echappes are
done to the second or fourth position, both feet traveling an equal distance
from the original center of gravity

ELAN - Attack

ELANCE - Darting

EMBOITE - fitted together, boxed

ENTRECHAT - Interweaving or braiding

EN DEDANS - inside, into your center

EN DEHORS - outside, away from your center

EPAULMENT - The placing of the shoulders

FONDU - Sinking down or melting

FOUETTE - Whipped...

FOUETTE ROND DE JAMBE EN TOURNANT. . . .

FRAPPE - to strike or hit.

GARGOUILLADE - Gurgling, to quote Kay Ambrose: "You do so much with your
feet that you don't know what you've done."

GATEWAY - This position of the arms corresponds to the fifth position
en avant

GLISSADE - to glide. A traveling step used to link other steps.

GLISSADE PRECIPITEE - Glissade hurried.

JETE - thrown. A jump from one foot to the other preceded
by a brush with the working leg. There are 37 variations of jete. GRAND
JETE EN TOURNANT - large jete turning.

PAS COURU - Running step

PAS DE BASQUE - step of the national dance of the Basques. This movement
is found in some form in almost every folk dance the world over

PAS DE BOURREE - also from a folk dance from Auvergne, an old province
of France

PAS DE CHAT - step of the cat

PAS DE CHEVAL - step of the horse

PAS MARCHE - a walking step.

PAS DE DEUX-TROIS-QUATRE - dance for two, three, four

PIED - foot. Dancers' feet are all important to them. They must
take care that blisters and bunions do not interfere with their careers.
DRU KRAFT was tired of me telling you about the 26 bones in the feet,
so she gave me a pair of socks that shows them all.

PIQUE - stepping directly en pointe from a plie

PORT DE BRAS - Carriage of the arms. The term port de bras has two meanings:
(1) A movement or series of movements made by passing the arm or arms
through various positions. The passage of the arms from one position to
another constitutes a port de bras. (2) A term for a group or exercises
designed to make the arms move gracefully and harmoniously.
In the Cecchetti
method there are eight set exercises on port de bras.

In the execution of port de bras the arms should move from the shoulder
and not from the elbow, and the movement should be smooth and flowing.
In raising the arms from one position to another the arms must pass through
a positions known in dancing as the "gateway". This position corresponds
to the fifth position en avant.

PROMENADE - turning on one foot in place

PIROUETTE - to whirl or spin. Pirouettes require perfect balance and
every pirouette is entirely dependent on the preparation which precedes
it. The dancer should make use of all the toes of the supporting foot,
pressing them strongly against the ground to increase the area of support.
The opening arm gives the lead and the incoming arm gives additional impetus.
The head is the last to move as the body turns away from the spectator
and the first to arrive as the body comes around toward the spectator.

RACCOURCI - Shortened. A term of the French School. (1) A position in
which the thigh is raised ot the second position en l'air, with the knee
bent so that the pointed toe rests against the knee of the supporting
leg (retire). (2) A sharp bending movement of the knee, as in battement
raccourci.

RELEVÉ - Raised.

RENVERSÉ - Upset, reversed.

RETIRÉ - Withdrawn. A position in which the thigh is raised to the second
position en l'air with the knee bent so that the pointed toe rests in
front of, behind or to the side of the supporting knee.

REVERENCE - Curtsey. The elaborate curtsey performed by the female dancer
to acknowledge the applause of the audience. It is also done at the end
of a ballet class to show the respectful admiration of the pupils for
their teacher.

RIVOLTADE - A French term derived from the Italian "rivoltare"
- to turn over.

ROND DE JAMBE - Round of the leg - that is, a circular movement of the
leg.

ROYALE - Royal. A changement in which the calves are beaten together
before the feet change position.

TEMPS DE CUISSE - Thigh movement. A compound step consisting of a battement
degage and a sissone fermee.

TEMPS DE FLECHE - Arrow movement. This step is so named because the first
leg acts as a kind of bow and the second leg the arrow.

TEMPS LEVÉ - Time raised, or raising movement. This is a hop from one
foot with the other raised in any position.

TEMPS LIÉ - Connected movement. Temps lie, an exercise used in centre
practice, is composed of a series of steps and arm movements based on
the fourth, fifth and second positions. A very valuable exercise for the
achievement of a soft demi-plie, it teaches control and balance in transmitting
the weight of the body from one position to another with a smooth rhythmical
movement.

TEMPS LIE SIMPLE EN AVANT - Simple connected movement, travelling
forward. Fifth position croise R foot front, arms bras bas. Demi-plie
and glide the pointed toe of the R foot into fourth position croise and
raise the arms to the gateway. Cemi-plie in the fourth position, then
shift the wieght onto the R foot, straightening both knees and raising
the L foot pointe tendue croise derriere and the arms en attitude, L arm
high. Close the L foot to the fifth position back in demi-plie, body en
face and lower the L arm in fronto fo the waist. Slide the pointed toe
of the R foot to the second position, leaving the L foot in demi-plie;
shift the weight onto the R foot in demi-plie, straighten the knees opening
the L arm to the second position and turning the head to the left. With
pointed toes, slide the L foot onto the fifth position croise devant and
demi plie, lowering the arms to bras bas. Repeat the whole movement ot
the other side.